Saint Mary's beacon., 1887-01-06
of the day it is active and generally

{
very fierce.
The circumstances Of my case seem
ed decidedly against me. The tic
polongs I had killed was al least 80
inches long. and therefore capable of
inficting mortal wound; it was fast
ing. and its poison glands must con-
ssquently be fully charged at the
moment it bit met was after 9
o'clock, aud very hot day, and the
bite on my wrist was deep. The only
point in my favor was that | was in
excellent health. ! knew the awful
gravity of my situation, and knew
that unless some remedies were sp-
piled Immediately l should certainly
be dead in three quarters of an hour
at the longest.
There was no surgeon or spotheca-
ry within Is miles of my factory, but
/ fortunately had some knowledge OF
the proper method of dealing with
such cases as my own, having once
seen a ryot being treated for snake
bite by the remedies / proposed to ap-
ply to myself, only / remembered with
melancholy interest that the unfortu-
nate Hindoo had died, notwithstand-
ing the unremitting exertions made
to save his lie.
The treatment for snake bite Is
ligature of the limb above the wound,
free incision, sucking. cauterization,
bathing the wound with ammonia and
taking ammonia or brandy internally
Remembering these directions, !
rushed into the bungalow and made a
very efficient tourmiquet with a walk
ing stick and wet towel, which /
passed round my forearm, eifectually
stopping the circulation. also sum
moned my boy Veerapen to my assis
tance, and as | had no ammonia in
the house I ordered him to open a
bottle of brandy with all speed
While Veerapen was getting the
cognac | slashed nv wrist freely all
around the injured part with my
pocket-knife, particularly probing the
punctures made by the serpent's fangs
and as the blood spurted freely from
the wound l sucked it with the vigor
and desperation of man who knows
that delay of only a quarter of q
minute in eliminating the virus from
his system may seal his doom.
I noticed with horror that my arm
was swelling rapidly, and began tc
experience difficulty in respiration
which / knew was a most unfavorablt
symptom. Some powerful excitant
was necessary Immediately to counter
act the effect of the poison. yet il
seemed as though Veerapen would
never bring the brandy, and / called
wildly to him to come to me. HC
ran into the room with a bottle Of the
precious liquor in his hand, but il
his confusion he could not find cork
screw, and he was too much dazeC
and terrified by my misfortune tc
to think of the ready expedient oi
knocking off the neck of the bottle
However, | soon sent it flying, and
pouring out half a tumbler OF brandy
l drank it at gulp.
The spirits revived me. and, thus
neryed to renewed action, bad,
Veerapen call the cook to bring sons
burning sticks from the kitchen
With one OF these glowing frebrand'
l scared my bleeding and quiverinl
flesh, never fiinching under what il
ordinary circumstances would have
been excruciating agony, but rathe
cherish;ng tine pain which was a pos
sible means of saving Inv life. But
feared my case was past all help, 70
I was sensible that the contractions O
NV heart were growing very feeble
and respiration became more an
more difficult.
felt the keenest anguish, and
-t there remained only on
XII. Of falling into fair
final st-'Se, ths, Ia
before deatl. superveL, desertin
Just as my secses were -.tl
me, | was able to clutch the b..
of brandy, and once more pouring out
large quantity into the glass. With
an effort | just managed to raise it to
my lips. and quaffed the requicken-
ing spirits, which acted on my pros
trated nerves like a magic drAught.
/ rallied, and, with a fierce deter
minstion to live, | braced my senses
together for final struggle with the